Intellectuality without Righteousness is suicidal

Humans are the only living being who could attain "intellectuality" and this alone makes humans superior than any other living or non-living being. Even Chimpanzees, Elephants, Dolphins have limited intellectuality but only humans have far more greater capability to learn and become an intellectual. This is clearly proved by Buddha because he was born as a "human" during his last birth in order to realize Nirwana. He descended from the absolute pleasurable Heaven to the human realm to realize Nirwana. WHY? It is because humans are the only capable living being who can advance his/her intellectual capacity to see beyond the "myths" in the world and finally realize the ultimate truth.

Unfortunately, today the World is on a rat-race for information, to be educated and to be called as an "intellectual" or a "professor". Parents force their children to study harder comparing them to other children. They send the children to school plus numerous additional classes called "tuition" under various teachers. Children have lost their childhood, their time to play and exert the energy they accumulate inside their bodies. They see no world other than this endless race to earn marks and more "prefixes" (Dr, Prof. Eng. etc) and "suffixes" (BA, Msc, PhD). Their ultimate goal is to learn/earn better than "the other person".

The moral ethics we learned from our parents and teachers have been disregarded now as "not important to find a good job". That label appears in every step child takes in his/her life. When the child wants to do some sports, the parents shouts "Who can find a job by doing sports unless you do Cricket and get selected to the national team?". Children today are like herd of robots made of only education but no righteousness or morality. They are trained to be selfish and encouraged to be selfish by parents as well as teachers. Even poor parents are forced to pay bribe in the disguised from of "gifts" to teachers under duress that their children being down-graded or maltreated otherwise by the teachers. This is the unfortunate black-hole of unethical practice which is eating the "free education" system enjoyed by the poor Sri Lankans for past 5 decades.

This is undesirable because intellectuality without righteousness is the ultimate suicidal of human-kind. An intelligent mind which does not recognize right from wrong will cause harm to oneself as well as to others. Simple example of atomic energy used as a nuclear bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Or the invention of gun-powder being used to develop numerous destructive weapons even today.

Buddha explained if the society only progress from its intellectual capacity but disdains its spiritual and moral ascent, then that society will deteriorate from within like a cancer. The selfishness cultured by us will only encourage the destruction of 'the other' in order to benefit from their resources. The circular process of this destruction will one day result in the total destruction of the humanity and thereby the only opportunity to realize the truth, the Nirwana, the utmost emptiness...!!

Everything is black as well as white

As humans we see the world in our own pre-judged angle. Somethings we categorize as "bad" and some we categorize as "good". What is good for me could be bad for another person. This universal reality is unfortunately not universally accepted by us. This is one of the main reasons for violence, conflicts and disagreements.

We believe that the religion/idea we follow is the "true religion/idea" and all others are false. Thus begin the crusades* and other wars in the name of the religion. We believe "what we believe is right" and all others are not right. We believe that we feel pain, but we never stop to believe that others may also feel pain equally and similarly the exact manner we feel the pain.

It is the universal truth that a good thing for someone could be bad for another. It is true that a book, music or drama which I dislike could be the favorites of another person. It is also true that something poisonous/allergic to me could be a medicine for another. Thus, everything has the atoms of good and bad energy, i.e. "Everything is black as well as white".

Therefore, we must not criticize what we loathe as "black" and try to impose our beliefs on another person. It is unjustifiable. It is also unjustifiable to impose our "likings" on others and force them to accept as true what we believe as true.

Human mind is unique, vivid, vivacious and capricious. Therefore, each person see things differently, feel things differently, interprets a scenario differently. It is worthy for all human-race to accept these differences of each human and thus not to impose oneself on another.

~ Based on a small booklet called "Sithuwili Siyaya" (Hundred Thoughts) by Bambalapitiye Vajiraramawasi Piyadassi Thero
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* Crusade as meaning " any vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause etc: e.g. a crusade against child abuse" (www.dictionary.com)

The Buddha that I know - Preface

Buddhism is a philosophy. An inherent feature in philosophy as I see is that one theory can have many interpretations. It necessarily doesn't mean that one thinker/interpreter is solely right and the others are wrong. That's the beauty of interpretation. One can interpret a philosophy based on his/her findings/thoughts and feelings. Many can disagree to such interpretations and the world's wisdom is made of such interpretations and arguments.

Having said that, I would like to add a preface to my blog here as I am going to write about "my interpretation" of one of the world's religions. Some may say that I am sailing on dangerous seas, because if you look at our world's history, most of the great wars were fought in the name of a religion (in vain!!!).

These are my interpretations of the philosophy taught by Siddhartha Gautama 2600 years ago. The teachings are still valid and can be followed with equal value as they were two and half millenia ago. My blogs are based on my discussions with a person who has practically followed the path foretold by Buddha and realized the truth in his preaching. We both would like to share that knowledge with anyone interested and that is the reason of starting this blog.

Please do feel free to keep your comments. We respect everyone's fair judgment and interpretation. We expect an equal respect to our interpretations and views and so we could finally attain our desire to be free, the desire to end the pain and suffering, together. We have started our journey as humans and many other living creatures. For many years, we have been born and reborn and endured countless sufferings. Now that we have been born in this age of the world, where wisdom is easily accessible through multiple advanced communication mechanisms, the time has come to "act". Time has come to see through the myth, the illusion we live on as "me, myself and my things" and start acting to end this illusion. It is the only path to end suffering and to achieve the 'non-existence'.

I would like to end this preface with a quote from Buddha "I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act." (retrieved from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/buddha.html)